DeVonte Hughes
The first memory I have of my hometown would be attending my first Notre Dame game with
my oldest brother. He called me one Saturday morning and surprisingly asked me, “Hey, how would you
like to go to a Notre Dame Football game with me today?” I, being an incredible football fan. Happily
answered with a “yes I would love to!” He picked me up around 10:30 am for the noon game. He
thought since it was my first Notre Dame game that I should experience the tailgating since Notre Dame
has some of the most livid football fans in all of America. The tailgating was a great involvement for me
to take part in. The atmosphere was intense but at the same time you could feel the joy and passion
that the fans had for their favorite team, Notre Dame. I had a buddy whose dad was one of the best
running backs to ever step foot at Notre Dame. I spent a majority of the time with him in his dad’s office
within the Pavilion Center. When the time drew closer for kickoff, my brother called me to come down
and I met him at the front gate of our seating section. I was in awe of the stadium. Growing up in South
Bend, you always get told stories of the Legends of Notre Dame and the historic plays that have been
made on that field. Once seated, I took it all in. The fans, the cheering, the atmosphere before kickoff, it
all hit me at once. The stadium was beautiful and you could see all the wonders of Notre Dame,
including ‘Touchdown Jesus.’ There was a magnificent and amazing press box opposite of us where the
alumni, other coaches, and technical support people sat to watch and critique the game. I loved every
minute of this experience. This is my first memory of living in South Bend.